Encyclopedia of Connecticut biography, genealogical-memorial ...

New Britain, in 1870, and obtained a position
with the Churchill & Lewis Company,
manufacturing jewellers, and here
he worked for twenty-seven years. He
had always taken a keen interest in the
affairs of the municipality, and he was
appointed deputy sheriff. He had been
for twenty years a member of the Na-
tional Guard of Connecticut, and in 1898,
at the outbreak of the Spanish War, he
enlisted and was appointed first lieutenant
in Company I, First Connecticut Reg-
iment, and served throughout the war.
His active interest in municipal affairs
was acknowledged in 1900 by his appointment
as chief of police, which office he
has held to the present time. Since 1873
Mr. Rawlings has been a member of the
First Baptist Church. He has always
been very much interested in fraternal
associations, and on February 25, 1880,
he joined Harmony Lodge, No. 20, An-
cient Free and Accepted Masons, and for
eight years he was worshipful master.
He served as secretary for twenty-six
years. For five years he was district
deputy of the fifth Masonic district. He
is a charter member of the Phoenix Temple,
No. 19, which was instituted in Au-
gust, 1876. He has held office in the
State and in National organiations.
Mr. Rawlings married, June 27, 1877,
Alice A. Keeney, daughter of William
and Hannah Keeney, and their children
are: 1. Ernest B., born in New Britain,
in 1891
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
; married Genie Barns, of Helena,
Montana, and they have one daughter,
Carol. 2. Edette L.
BOND, Harry Slocomb,
Hotel Proprietor.
Harry Slocomb Bond, secretary, treas-
urer and managing director of the Hotel
Bond Company, of Hartford, through the
nature of his occupation is probably as
259
well known in that city as any man
therein. He is, in fact, one of the leading
hotel men of New England, and it follows
inevitably that his acquaintance
would be of extremely broad scope, embracing
all manner of men. The main
factor in the upbuilding of Mr. Bond's
success in business has been his genius,
which amounts almost to a "sixth sense,"
in divining the wants of the public and
in supplying their demands. There is
nothing more fickle than the public taste,
and catering to it is a vocation which
demands keen perception and observa-
tion, and a complete and sympathetic un-
derstanding of human nature. It is a
study to which, in the abstract, scientists
and thinkers have devoted their lives, and
which, in its actual and practical working
out, is an important vocation. Mr.
Bond's success in this line is universally
conceded.
The Bond family are natives of Massa-
chusetts. Thomas A. Bond, grandfather
of Harry S. Bond, was born and lived his
entire life in West Boylston, Massachu-
setts. His active career was devoted to
farming pursuits up to the time of his
retirement. He married Harriet Slocomb.
His death occurred in the eighty-fourth
year of his age.
George Calvin Bond, son of Thomas A.
and Harriet (Slocomb) Bond, was born
in West Boylston, Massachusetts, in
1840. At the age of twenty-five he removed
to Holden, Massachusetts, where
he engaged in farming, continuing in this
occupation until his death, which occurred
in 1912. He married Abbie, daughter of
Levi Holbrook, a descendant of an old
family of West Boylston. Levi Holbrook
was a distinguished citizen of that city,
in which he was superintendent of the
mills, and he also held the same position
in Shirley village until his death. There
were twelve children born to Mr. and